Chapter 36
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Chapter 36
* * *
"Everyone hidden? I'm coming to find you!"
Lucian's booming voice echoed across the sprawling garden.
Yet no one answered. They had all concealed themselves long ago.
"I'll find every last one of you!"
I watched Lucian throw himself into his role as seeker, my lips curving upward. His energetic dashing about spoke volumes of his determination to successfully complete the game of hide-and-seek.
"He certainly has impressive drive."
"Our Lucian does have quite the competitive spirit."
I answered awkwardly to Claude, who was smiling contentedly as he watched Lucian.
An hour had passed in the Physician's Office when Claude woke me.
'Miss, it's time to return.'
'Oh!'
I belatedly realized I had fallen asleep.
'And here I confidently said I would wake myself, only to drift off....'
Right in front of a sick person, no less.
And wrapped in Claude's outer coat at that!
Mortified, I had no choice but to flee back to the Playroom.
"Miss Lucella."
Just as I was still drowning in embarrassment, the mansion's butler approached me.
"The Duke will be arriving shortly."
It was his way of saying I should send the children home before the Duke returned.
"Understood. I'll send the children back once the hide-and-seek game is finished."
I nodded and rose from my chair.
Of course, I had no real intention of sending them home.
'This is the perfect opportunity to bring Edwin and the Duke together.'
My eyes gleamed at the thought of seizing this chance.
I planned to arrange for the Duke, who was just arriving home, and Edwin, who was about to leave the mansion, to meet naturally at the entrance.
When the Duke came home, he would go straight to his room or study without stopping anywhere else. Then he would rarely venture beyond his private space.
So timing was everything in this plan. Since the taciturn Duke wouldn't bother to come out and meet the children, I needed to seize the moment when he entered the Main Building First Floor.
"Found Lua!"
Meanwhile, Lucian diligently located the children.
Starting with Lua, who had been hiding under a table, then Rona, concealed in the garden's grass pile, and finally Amelia, who had tucked herself behind a maid's voluminous skirts.
Now only Edwin remained unfound.
"I'll find every last one of you!"
Lucian's eyes sparkled with delight as he burned with enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, I gauged when the Duke would arrive.
'It takes roughly thirty minutes from the Security Bureau to the mansion, and the butler informed me about ten minutes ago, so....'
It seemed I should soon end the hide-and-seek game and have the children put on their outer coats.
'I should be able to find him quickly, shouldn't I?'
I watched Lucian peering behind the stone statue and thought to myself.
Children's hiding spots were always predictable, so I'd be able to find Edwin quickly enough.
However, contrary to my expectations, even after searching the garden thoroughly, I couldn't locate Edwin anywhere.
"Where on earth could he be hiding?"
Lucian huffed with his hands planted firmly on his hips.
"Right? Where did he go?"
Rona's face fell as well. Even the children who weren't seekers joined in searching the garden, but it proved insufficient to find Edwin.
"Lucian, if you can't find him, just call out that you give up."
"But..."
"We'll be here until dawn at this rate."
At Amelia's firm words, Lucian's pouting lips quickly gave way as he brought both hands to his mouth and shouted.
"I give up, you clever bird!"
It was the proud Lucian's declaration of surrender. Yet Edwin still didn't emerge.
"What? Why isn't he coming out?"
"Maybe he's hiding somewhere other than the garden?"
Watching the children huddle together with serious expressions, my own anxiety grew. It was nearly time for the Duke to arrive.
Just then, the carriage carrying the Duke passed through the mansion gates. He would arrive at the residence shortly.
"Children, let's go inside and search there instead. I think he must have gone into the building."
Unable to contain my anxiety any longer, I finally joined in the children's conversation.
"I'll help search too. When you find Edwin, bring him straight to me. Understood?"
The children nodded at my words.
"Edwin, where are you?"
I led Claude as I began searching for Edwin. I checked the numerous rooms on the Main Building First Floor and even behind the curtains that the children loved.
But finding Edwin proved impossible. The Duke's Mansion was vast, and there were countless places where a small child could hide.
"I need to find him quickly..."
I even enlisted the servants who were nearby.
"Edwin, where are you?"
"That's cheating if you leave the garden!"
Lucian's angry voice mixed in among the calls for Edwin.
And soon after.
"His Grace the Duke has arrived."
The Duke of Bellomen had arrived at the mansion.
* * *
Edwin, who had been surveying the expansive garden of the Duke's Mansion, moved his steps indoors. By his standards, the garden wasn't a particularly suitable place to hide.
'They said leaving the garden would be cheating.'
Edwin's eyes darted back and forth between the door leading inside and the garden.
He wanted to win at hide-and-seek. He wanted to win so he could hear Amelia's praise.
'I'll hide somewhere else and slip back out to the garden without being noticed.'
It was a somewhat underhanded method, but if it meant receiving Amelia's attention, he was willing to do it.
And so Edwin carefully slipped out of the garden and entered the mansion. His small frame made it easy to evade the servants' notice.
'Where should I hide?'
Edwin wandered through the first-floor corridor of the Bellomen Mansion, searching for a suitable hiding spot.
The sprawling mansion offered countless places to conceal oneself—numerous rooms lined along the corridor, soft curtains drawn over expansive windows, and enormous potted plants positioned beside them.
"This is really fascinating...."
The thought of hiding had already vanished from my mind. My vision was entirely consumed by the large, gleaming objects before me.
Wandering freely through someone else's home was impolite, but there was no adult in Edwin's life to teach him such things. The boy simply acted as his curiosity compelled him.
"How beautiful...."
Edwin gasped in wonder at the sight of a cherub-shaped stone statue resting atop a decorative dresser.
It wasn't merely that one statue which was beautiful.
Lucian's home was filled with rare treasures I had never once laid eyes upon in my entire life.
"I wish I could have something like this."
What I longed for wasn't merely the objects themselves.
Lucian didn't even spare a glance at these beautiful, precious things.
If such magnificent and splendid items were mine, I would treasure them beyond measure.
"My, what child is this?"
Just as I had become absorbed in the corridor's decorations, a voice from across the way drew my attention away from the ornaments.
Maids wearing aprons were approaching from the opposite direction.
"It seems to be the young master's friend. Ah yes, Miss Lucella mentioned bringing someone today."
"I see. How adorably charming!"
The maids, who had been whispering to one another, soon bowed respectfully toward Edwin.
"Hello there."
"Pardon?"
Edwin blinked in confusion. It was the first time an adult had ever spoken to me with such courtesy.
Could they be addressing someone else? Edwin glanced back cautiously.
"Are you having an enjoyable time?"
Yet the corridor was empty.
Only then did Edwin realize the maid's question was directed at me.
"Yes, yes. It's fun."
"And the refreshments suit your taste?"
"Yes. The cookies with peanuts were absolutely delicious."
"Oh my, how wonderful!"
"How delightful to hear."
At Edwin's tense response, the maids laughed softly behind their hands, whispering what sounded like 'how precious' to my ears.
"Then please continue enjoying yourself for the rest of your visit."
After their brief greeting, the maids departed.
Edwin watched their retreating figures and gave a small wave.
"They're so kind...."
The adults I had first encountered were never so kind.
The adults who visited the Orphanage had always examined me like merchandise, and the Orphanage Director and teachers before that were even worse.
Lucella was the first person to show me unconditional affection upon meeting me for the first time.
I thought there was no adult who would treat me kindly besides Lucella. But I was wrong.
The teachers Lucella brought were incomparably gentler than my previous instructors, and the servants in the mansion where she lived were uniformly kind.
How wonderful it would be if I could live in a place with such people.
To wake in a soft bed, eat warm meals, and share conversations with kind-hearted souls.
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